


Flying Blind

by starrynightshade



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Parenthood, Undercover as Married
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-03
Updated: 2015-05-16
Packaged: 2018-02-27 22:53:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2709662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrynightshade/pseuds/starrynightshade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Antoine Triplett had been through some seriously weird stuff since he had joined SHIELD. He’d encountered aliens, gifted individuals, and more recently, a psychopath from the 1940’s. However, all of that seemed to pale in comparison to his latest assignment: parenthood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Happy Couple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Antoine Triplett receives the strangest mission briefing ever, and Raina just basks in his discomfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those of you who read the tags will probably notice that this story is canon divergent. This story starts several months after the events of season 2 episode 14, however there some obviously significant differences. In order to indulge my crack shipping heart, I've created an AU here in which Trip pulls Raina from the Kree temple just moments before the obelisk opens and grants Skye her powers. I'll try not to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't finished season two, but those of you who have will notice certain impossibilities in this story involving several characters that are entirely due to the fact that I started writing this story before season two ever started. So, with that in mind, please enjoy the story and do let me know what you thought in the comments!

Antoine Triplett had been through some seriously weird stuff since he had joined SHIELD. He’d encountered aliens, gifted individuals, and more recently, a psychopath from the 1940’s. However, all of that seemed to pale in comparison to his latest assignment: parenthood.

He’d arrived a bit early for the meeting that Coulson had requested, partly because he was a punctual person by nature, and partly because he was just plain curious.

“You can come in.” Coulson called from his desk.

Trip hadn't even knocked yet, but he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “You asked for me sir?”

“Yes, have a seat.” He indicated the chair across from him at the desk. Trip settled into it as Coulson placed a slim folder on the desk between them. “Melody Clark,” he said, pulling a paper from the top of the file and handing it to Trip “was found three miles from her home in Fairfax last night. Apparently, she fled fled the house with her five month old sister Addison after ‘bad men’ broke in and murdered their parents.”

Triplett looked at the picture in the file. It showed a little girl in a yellow raincoat and boots smiling up at the camera. Raindrops glistened on her warm brown skin and in the dark curls that spiraled past her shoulders. The next picture was of a little baby, staring up at the camera with big brown eyes. He immediately felt his heart constrict at the thought of everything they had been through. “Are they alright?”

“Miraculously, they managed to escape unharmed. They’re in the care of Child Protective Services for now, and I have an acquaintance there who’s looking after them.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that, but why are you telling me this? Actually, why are we even taking this case? Shouldn't this fall under the FBI’s jurisdiction?”

“I’m getting there.” He said patiently.

“Right. Sorry, Sir.”

Coulson waved off his apology. “Saying this is a unique case would be an understatement. Samuel and Vanessa Clark died under very suspicious circumstances, and we need to investigate those circumstances. The problem is, whoever killed them was either after their children to begin with, or will want to tie up their loose ends. That’s where you come in. These girls are orphans now, even if they did have any family to go to they wouldn’t be safe. As soon as this threat is eliminated they’ll be released into the foster care system, but until then you’re going to look after them.” He pulled another file from his desk and handed it over. “All the files and documents you’ll need for your cover are in here, and a friend of mine has made arrangements for the four of you just outside of Boston.”

“I’m sorry. You said the _four_ of us?”

“Raina will be joining you.” Coulson said as if it were the most obvious thing on Earth.

“ _Raina_?” He gawked. “As in flower dresses and fifty shades of crazy, Raina?”

“Don’t you think that’s bit extreme, Antoine?” For the life of him Trip couldn't figure out how she managed to sneak up on them in those heels, yet there she stood raising an expectant eyebrow at him in her signature floral attire. Today's dress was a deep plum color with gold flowers patterning the garment, and Trip certainly didn't notice the way the silky fabric perfectly hugged her frame. That would have been out of line.

“Raina. Come have a seat.” Coulson said, leaving the agent in front of him to wonder when he and Raina had gotten so chummy. Once she had perched herself primly on the seat next to him, Coulson began again. “Skye briefed you I believe?”

“She did.” Raina confirmed. “Although, I think she was just as baffled as Antoine about my role in this mission. I’m assuming you haven’t told him yet?”

“I was getting to it.” Coulson said tersely.

“Getting to what, sir? There has to be someone else who can come with me on this.”

“I’m hurt. You don’t want me to come with you on your undercover adventure?” Raina asked, pouting her lip the slightest bit.

It took more effort than it should have to tear his gaze away from her lips, but he managed it, turning back to Coulson.

“I told you that Melody and Addison’s parents died under suspicious circumstances.” he said. “Well, Raina has more up-close experience with suspicious circumstances than just about anyone else. We need your skills, but we need her experience.”

“Are you sure that’s safe? You just said that an unknown murderer may be after these two kids, and I would feel much better having someone who’s at least a field agent with me.”

“Well, I’m sorry to be causing you discomfort, Antoine.” Trip really doubted that. “But, I am best equipped to help you deal with anything…odd that may come up.”

Coulson sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes in frustration. “Look, I know you two aren't exactly best friends, and I not asking you to be, but you do need get along well enough to sell your cover and not get killed. May’s flying you to Virginia in forty-five minutes. Once you’ve picked the girls up from CPS, you’ll drive to Boston. You have the duration of the plane ride to figure out a way to make this work and smooth out any kinks in your covers. This op could run anywhere from two weeks to two years, so I suggest you two get comfortable with each other really fast, for your own sakes. Got it?”

Raina looked surprised at Coulson’s slight outburst, but nodded anyway while Trip gave his superior the usual “Yes, sir.”

“Good. Everything you need to know is in here.” He said tapping the files on the desk. “And good luck, both of you.”

And with that, they left. Trip wasn't sure where Raina was headed, but he had packing to do. His duffle bag was nearly full when Skye and Bobbi showed up at his door.

“We come bearing gifts.” Skye said, holding up the box in her hands.

The two of them emptied the parcel item by item, handing things over for him to pack.

“Extra ICEr with more compact cartridges.” Bobbi said, handing him the weapon.

Skye passed him a Glock 19. “This one’s the real deal, so don't go getting them confused.” Trip nodded and the gun joined the ICEr. “And a SAT phone that you can use to call me, Simmons, or AC. Emergencies only, obviously.”

“Driver’s licenses and credit cards under your cover’s names.” Bobbi handed him a small envelope containing false documents and credit cards under the names of Antoine and Raina James. Trip had had a lot of different covers over the years, but ‘married with kids’ had never been one of them. And what was worse, he had no experience to draw on in either of those areas. For the first time as an operative he was flying blind.

“I hope that’s it.” He joked, trying to get rid of the just-punched sensation in his gut. “This bag is looking awfully full.”

“Just one more thing.” Skye said as she rifled around in the bottom of the box. With a little noise of triumph, she pulled a small, velvet bag out. “Because no marriage is complete without a blatant display of blind consumerism. And by that I mean a really huge rock. Like seriously, I don’t know where Coulson’s getting these gigantic diamonds, but I’m starting to get suspicious.”

Trip couldn't help rolling his eyes as he took the bag from the younger agent and tucked it in his jacket pocket. “They’re probably fake, just like the marriage.”

Skye’s only response was to give him a long, tight hug. “Be careful out there okay?”

“Come on, girl. You cant get rid of me that easily. I’ll be back sooner or later.”

“I’d prefer sooner if you can swing it.” Bobbi said, taking her turn to envelope him in a hug.

“Yes Ma’am.” He agreed. “Tell the others I’ll see them soon, yeah?”

They promised to do so and before he knew it he was sitting next to Raina on the Quinjet while May piloted the plane towards Virginia. The flight wasn't long, but it was all the time they had to smooth out their covers.

“You’ve finished reading the files, right?” He asked as they approached their destination.

“Front to back.” She confirmed. “Any kinks?”

Trip nearly choked on air before realizing that she was repeating what Coulson had said in his office. “No, but I’ll tell you if anything comes up. You?”

“A few. But, none pertaining to our cover.” She said nonchalantly. He took a deep breath as he rose to check in with May in the cockpit. This was going to be a long mission.


	2. The Proud Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the mission gets even stranger and Raina is surprisingly good with kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for S2 E10! Alright, so since the writers of the show are intent on putting me in emotional turmoil, this story will be taking place in a canon divergent AU in which Trip pulls Raina out of the temple, but Skye is stuck inside with the Diviner. So Trip is alive and Raina isn't a weird cactus cat, okay? Cool.

It took Raina less than thirty minutes to decide that she didn’t really like her engagement ring. The band was all platinum with two rows of diamonds glittering around a big square-cut stone. It looked gigantic on her delicate hand, but it certainly made a statement. 

“Coulson really went all out, huh?” Trip said, noticing the way she kept glancing down at her left hand. 

She gave a slight nod. “Agent May’s a lucky woman.”

“May?” Trip sputtered. “Coulson and May aren’t… at least I don't think…”

“If you say so.” She said, shrugging her shoulders. It was silent for a few moments before she spoke up again. “I don't like it.”

He glanced at her for a moment before looking back at the road. “Don’t like what?”

“The ring. It’s too big for me, too flashy.” Raina explained. 

“Really? You seem like the type of person who enjoys flashy.” 

“It has its moments, but I’ve always preferred simple elegance.” 

“Like flower dresses?” He grinned. 

He was too focused on the road to notice the way her face fell just a bit at his question. “Who doesn't like flowers?” 

They’d been driving for about half an hour in an SUV that had been waiting for them at the airfield. Trip had stowed their meager luggage in the trunk before climbing into the driver’s seat and typing the address Coulson had sent them into the GPS. Despite being late November, the air was pleasantly warm and slightly humid, but that was likely to change as they made their way to Boston. First, however, they needed to fill the empty carseats in the back row of the vehicle. She had to admit that the idea was daunting, and she really hoped that Coulson’s friend had some advice for them before they became the temporary guardians of these little girls. 

The woman who greeted them at the CPS facility had short, silvery hair and rectangular glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. “I’m Dr. Ann Fielding, I work in the psychology department here. You must be from Coulson’s team.” She said, shaking their hands in turn as they confirmed that Coulson had sent them. “Good, I’ll try to make this brief. They both seem to be exceptionally resilient, but I’d like them in a normal home environment as soon as possible.” 

“We understand.” Raina said.

“How are they?” Trip asked as he and Raina began following her down the hallway. 

“They’re both doing surprisingly well. Addison is just developing a concept of object permanence, so she most likely doesn't understand that something has happened, but Melody does. She’s been surprisingly calm about the whole ordeal. You have to keep in mind though, that children have a very different grieving process from adults.” They nodded their understanding, and Dr. Fielding continued. “I’ve put together some reference material for you on helping children through periods of grief, and I’ll give you the number to my office in case you need any further assistance.”

Raina thanked her as they turned a corner into a new wing of the building and Dr. Fielding stopped walking. 

“Now, before you go and get them, I want to warn you that as far as Melody’s concerned, the four of you are about to enter into an elaborate game of ‘house’ in which you two are the parents. Get used to responding to ‘Mommy and Daddy’.” 

As if Mr. and Mrs. hadn’t been weird enough, now they were Mom and Dad too. Trip couldn't help but think that his day was just getting weirder and weirder with the passing time. Dr. Fielding led them a little further down the hall, where she ushered them through the door of a classroom-like space. The specialist recognized Melody’s dark curls right away, and Dr. Fielding was quick to usher them over to her. The chairs at the table were tiny, and he probably looked ridiculous, but Trip sat down next to her anyway. He glanced over to Raina, who somehow still managed to look refined in the child sized seat, before trying to talk to Melody. “Hey, I like your picture.”

“Thanks.” She said in a surprisingly serene voice. “It’s a gingerbread house with a cookie family that lives in it.” 

“I see that. I’m Trip, and this is my friend Raina. You’re name’s Melody right?”

Melody still hadn't looked up from her picture, but she nodded her head in the affirmative as she picked up a pink crayon. “Miss Ann said I was going to live with you guys.” 

Trip was about to respond, but Raina beat him to the punch. “Just for a while. Would you like that?” 

She finally looked up, apparently finished with her gingerbread family, and looked between them with curious brown eyes. “Can I bring Addie?” 

Again Trip was cut off, this time by the return of Dr. Fielding. “Of course Addie can come with you. I just need someone to hold her so I can get some paperwork together.” Immediately Raina’s arms were outstretched, and the psychologist was transferring the baby in her arms to the other woman. 

“Hello.” Raina cooed, rocking the infant a bit and earning a small gurgle in return. Trip didn’t really know what he’d been expecting to happen, but it certainly hadn’t been for Raina’s maternal side to make an instantaneous appearance. 

“If you’ll join me in my office.” Dr. Fielding prompted. The paperwork took only a few minutes and within the hour he was shaking Dr. Fielding’s hand and heading back to the room that Melody and Addison were waiting in. 

Raina was still sitting in the tiny chair when he returned, rocking Addison as if it were second-nature and animatedly talking to Addison about the picture she was working on. “I just need your signature on a few things before you leave.” Ann said to her. It took a bit of doing, but after a few moments Raina was scrawling a fake name onto the small collection of documents and trip was standing in the middle of the room holding a baby. 

He’d thought he would be more nervous, but once she was settled and staring up at him with the same coffee brown eyes as her sister he felt a sense of focus wash over him. It was the same kind of clarity that he felt when he was on an op, reaching for his gun, analyzing the best way to avoid casualties if things should go poorly. And then he remembered that this was an op, and despite the perfect innocence of the girl in his arms and the one sitting just a foot away, they were in danger. 

“We’re ready.” Raina said, holding her arms out for Trip to place Addison in. 

As Dr. Fielding led them back out of the building, he reached out for Melody’s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. He wasn’t totally sure which one of them he was trying to reassure, but the pressure of her little fingers on the back of his hand was incredibly grounding. 

Once both girls were secured in their carseats Trip and Raina turned to face Dr. Fielding, who pulled out a yellow folder and a business card. “Here’s the reference material that I was telling you about, and my card in case you need anything.”

“Thank you.” Raina smiled, taking them both and tucking them into her bag.

“I know this is going to be an adjustment for both of you, but if it makes you feel any better, I don’t think Coulson could have sent two more qualified agents. You two are naturals, and I know you’ll do what’s best for Melody and Addison.”

With that final reassurance, they said their goodbyes and climbed back into the car.

“Ready to go?” Trip asked, glancing into the backseat.

“Where are we going?” Melody asked, swinging her feet over the floor of the vehicle.

Raina turned over her shoulder to look at the five year-old. “Massachusetts.” She smiled. “How do you like the sound of Boston?”


	3. Home Sweet Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the road trip is complete and Trip and Raina continue to avoid the inevitable.

With stops for food and bathroom breaks, the eight hour drive from Virginia to Boston ended up taking nearly ten hours. Addison proved to be a surprisingly quiet baby, only fussing when she was in need of a bottle or diaper change, and Melody was quite content to look out the window and watch the world go by so long as Trip kept the radio on a classical music station.

He could still hear the faintest strains of Bach’s cello suite no.1 as he pulled onto a quiet suburban street at three in the morning.

“That must be it.” Raina whispered pointing to a house on the left with pale blue siding and grey stone around the door. She was just barely clinging to consciousness in the passenger’s seat but had insisted on staying up with him, which would have been sweet if he hadn’t known that it was out of distrust rather than in the interest of keeping him company.

He parked in the driveway, but left the keys in the ignition. “Wait here.” He said to Raina. “I’m going to clear the house, then I’ll be right back.” She nodded sleepily, stretching in her seat.

As he entered the garage through the side door he pulled out his flashlight and gun, sweeping them over the space. Aside from a folded up stroller, a sled, and a porch swing that appeared to be in storage for the winter the garage was empty. The first room he entered seemed to be a mud room with a washer and dryer on the right and a small powder room on the left. Both rooms were clear, so he moved forward into the kitchen taking note of the foyer on the left and the sliding door in the back of the combined living and dining room. The stairs opened up to a spacious landing that seemed to be serving as a reading area, complete with a fully-stocked bookshelf and two comfortable armchairs. He checked for an entry point to the attic over the garage, but found nothing and decided to make his way down the hall instead.

The first door on the left yielded a bathroom, but nothing concerning. The two doors on the right side of the hall opened up to a nursery followed by a butterfly-themed bedroom. And the last room—the one he tried not to pay too much attention to — was their room. A handsomely furnished master bedroom with a walk-in closet and a sleek en-suite bathroom. Disorienting as it was, the room was clear of threats, so Trip put away his gun and flashlight as he returned to the car.

“It’s clear.” He whispered to Raina. She nodded drowsily and got out of the car, opening the door behind hers to remove Addison’s carseat. Trip did the same on his side, unbuckling Melody’s seatbelt before thinking about the chilly weather and wrapping his leather jacket around her shoulders.

“Should we wake her up?” Raina wondered.

He considered it for a moment, weighed the pros and cons, and decided that it would be best to wake her for a few minutes instead of letting her wake up in a strange and unfamiliar place in the morning. “Hey, we’re here.” He murmured, rubbing her shoulder to wake her up.

“M’kay.” She mumbled. “Carry me?”

“Sure thing, Angel.” He was glad that he had had her change into her pajamas during their last stop, as it would save him the effort of trying to get her into them now. “This way.” He said to Raina, leading her through the kitchen and the foyer and up the staircase. “Addie’s room is on the right.”

With the threat of danger gone, he could see that Melody’s room was ideally suited for a little girl her age. The walls and bedsheets were both a soothing shade of blue, and the large window on the far wall looked out into the backyard. The table in the corner looked like the perfect place to color or host a tea party for the various dolls and stuffed animals that lined the shelves on the wall. It had all the essentials, and a bit more.

With the covers tucked in around her, Trip knelt next to the bed so his face was even with Melody’s. “I’m going to go to sleep too, but my room is just across the hall if you need something, okay?” She nodded sleepily and Trip took it to mean that she had understood him, so he quietly crept out of the room and closed the door behind him.

“I’m going to get our bags.” He said to Raina, who was watching Addie sleep in her crib. She nodded, and when he returned from the car with their duffels in hand she was sitting on the bed in a tank top and a pair of pink sleep shorts.

“Good news.” She said, taking her bag from him and unzipping it. “The closet’s fully stocked.” She pulled a toiletries bag from her duffel and stalked off to the bathroom with it in hand.

Sure enough, the left side of the walk-in closet had a drawer full of pajama bottoms and soft t-shirts. He quickly shed his clothes and slipped into a pair of blue flannel bottoms, forgoing the t-shirt for a moment while he searched the room for a laundry hamper.

“It’s in the bathroom.” Raina said, having somehow appeared in the doorway without a sound. He was glad he was at least wearing pants, because the way her gaze raked over his retreating form didn’t go unnoticed. He slipped the shirt on as he walked into the bathroom, tossing his other clothes into the hamper on the way. He considered a shower briefly, but ended up just brushing his teeth and splashing a bit of water onto his face.

By the time he came out, Raina was already curled up on the right side of the bed, which was fine because he preferred the side by the door anyway. She looked like she was sleeping, but when he got under the covers with her and turned off the lamp, he could sense the tension in her shoulders and hear the too-quick rate of her breathing.

 _Well, hopefully she’s still here in the morning._ He thought, before turning onto his side and trying to get some rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one's a bit sort, but I thought this would be a good spot to cut it off. In other news, my exams are finished so I will have more time to write for the rest of the month! As usual, please tell me what you think and if there's something you're dying to see these characters do, leave it as a comment and I'll try to make it happen.


	4. Good Morning Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Raina and Trip settle into a life of domestic bliss.

Raina woke in an empty bed. She must have rolled over sometime during the night because her back was to the window that she had been staring at when she dozed off, but the other side of the bed was empty. She could still feel the leftover warmth ratting off the mattress, and smell the inviting woodsy scent that proved Antoine had been there, that she hadn't been dreaming. She heard a small whining noise from across the hall that pushed all the pieces into place. Addison was crying.

The clock told her that it was just after five in the morning, but she stretched for a moment before tossing back the covers and climbing out of bed. The wood floors were chilly against her bare feet, which helped to clear her groggy mind, but wasn’t exactly pleasant as she padded across the hall. He was sitting in the rocking chair in the corner with Addie’s dark curls cradled in the crook of his elbow. She was happily sucking down a bottle with her eyes half open and a handful of his shirt scrunched up in her little hand.

“You should have woken me.” Raina said.

“I thought you could use some sleep.” He replied. He looked far more awake than someone who had just driven for 10 hours and only slept for 2 should really look. “Besides you had her for most of the drive here. I figured it was only fair that I took a turn. Trust me, I’ve done much more dangerous things on no sleep at all. You should go back to bed.” He added, seeing the dubious look that must have been etched all over her features.

She nodded sleepily and left the room, but instead of going back to bed, she headed down the hall to check in on Melody.

She was sleeping soundly with the pale blue covers pulled up to her chin. Her eyelids fluttered the slightest bit and Raina hoped that it was because she was having sweet dreams, and not because her mind was dredging up the horrors she had witnessed just days before. With one last glance around the room she snuck back to the hallway and closed the door behind her, nearly running directly into Antoine on her way back to bed.

“Is she still asleep?” He asked, yielding so she could walk through the bedroom door.

“Out like a light.” She confirmed. The bed wasn’t as warm as when she’d left it, but she realized that that problem would be short-lived when he slid under the covers next to her. “You’re like a human space heater.” She commented.

“Well, if you start to feel chilly feel free to snuggle up to me again. I won’t judge.”

She had to physically fight back the little noise of indignation that threatened to fly from her mouth. “I wasn’t ‘snuggling.’” She insisted and turned so she was laying with her back to him.

Still, she could practically hear him smirking as he flipped off the lamp. “Whatever you say, Wifey.”

 

He was up again just after seven thirty, leaving the bed unpleasantly cool in his wake. Raina’s sleep-addled brain went over all the possible reasons he could be up after so few hours. Addison was’t crying, so that wasn’t it. Melody hadn’t made a peep all night and there were no signs of intruders, so when she stretched out and mumbled a barely comprehensible “What’s happening?” he surprised her by saying that he was going for a run.

“It’s the best way to case out the neighborhood.” He explained. “I can get a feel for people’s schedules, who’s friendly and who’s not, the way things operate. I won’t go too far, but I’m leaving you the ICEr just in case. Try not to need it.” He said, lacing up his tennis shoes and stowing his Glock in a discreet holster. “I won’t be long.” He promised. “You should try to get some more sleep.”

She nodded sleepily, settling back under the covers as he walked out of the room. She didn’t even realize she was dozing off again until a soft tug at the covers woke her up. When she pried her eyes open she was met by big brown eyes and a tangle of curls that told her that Melody was up. “Hey. Did you sleep okay?” She asked as she climbed out from her warm cocoon. Melody nodded, taking Raina’s outstretched hand. “Let’s go see about some breakfast.”

Together they checked on on Addison before going down the stairs to the kitchen. “Let’s see what we’ve got.” Raina started looking through the cupboards, there were a few basic essentials among the dishes and silverware, but they were definitely going to need to make a shopping trip soon. “How about eggs and toast?”

* * *

 

It took less than a mile for Trip to decide that Raina was trying to kill him. She hadn't exactly become anyone’s bestie since she’d come to SHIELD, but she had been especially cold with him. It was no secret that she thought he had ruined her destiny, or whatever she called it, by pulling her from that room. In all fairness, he thought she was trying to kill Skye. How was he supposed to know that the walls would close up behind them?

Semantics aside, she had clearly chosen an extremely potent form of revenge, and her greatest weapon so far was that damn stretch. He’d mentally reprimanded himself after the whole lip incident in Coulson’s office, but after watching her wake up that morning he was inches from slapping his own face. _You’re on a mission_ , he reminded himself, _and you don’t need to be distracted by a girl who was threatening Simmons just months ago._ But how could he not be when she slid her arms up aver her head, back arching up off the bed provocatively, and let out a little noise between a whine and a whimper that made him want to explore all the little sounds she made when her mind was otherwise engaged?

Shaking his head he tried to refocus on the task at hand, waving at a middle-aged man who was picking up the morning paper while using his fake earbuds to listen in on the conversation his wife was having with their teenage daughter in the kitchen. He added the family to his mental catalog, along with the park he had noticed, the apparently vacant house on the corner, and the family on the next street with the poorly behaved pug. By the time he stopped to stretch in the driveway his mind was swimming with little details like that.

“I’m back!” He called, slipping off his shoes in the mudroom.

“Daddy!” Melody cried struggling to get down from her seat at the counter. _Daddy? Oh, right_. The realization that she meant him made his brain buzz with conflicting ideas and feelings, but he filed them away with his morning run. Just more data to review later.

“Whoa there!” Trip said, scooping her up before she could slip. “Good morning Sunshine! You look like you slept well.”

She nodded before turning her attention back to her breakfast on the island. “Mommy made toast and eggs. Do you want some?”

“That sounds great, but first I’m going to go take a shower and check on your sister, okay?” She voiced her consent and he set her back in her chair to finish eating. “You’re okay for ten more minutes, right?” He asked Raina who was standing at the stove, making eggs and listening to the baby monitor on the counter.

“Yes, I’ll be fine. Oh, but we’ll need to go to the store this afternoon.” She lowered her voice, peering up at him through her eyelashes. “Unless you were planning on eating… something else tonight.

Trip just confirmed that yes, they would go to the store before bolting up the stairs. His resolve strengthened as he stepped into the shower. The reasonable part of his brain warned him that one of them was going to end up burned by this game, but he was done letting Raina have all the satisfaction. He was going to play too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you liked it! Requests for spooning, dancing, and a tea party are all on the docket, but if you can think of anything you'd like to see me force these two into leave a comment!


	5. Welcome to the Neighborhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I which Trip and Raina try to figure out if they've moved to the suburbs of Boston, or been sucked into an episode of "Real Housewives."

Raina was helping Melody with her hair when the doorbell rang. She could make out the sounds of the door opening and a woman’s voice coming from the entryway before Antoine called up the stairs to her. “We have a visitor.”  
  
“Down in a minute!” She called back, taking Melody’s hand and leading her downstairs. In the foyer stool a fair woman in dark jeans and a low-cut red top. Raina could tell from a quick glance that everything about the woman was fake, from her bleached hair to her slightly orange complexion to the french-tipped claws attached to each of her fingers.  
  
“You must be Antoine’s wife.” The woman said flashing an artificially whitened smile. It sent a jolt through Raina to hear someone else call him that. On the base he had been Trip or Agent Triplett to everyone but her, but now he was Antoine James and Trip would be a difficult nickname to explain.  
  
“Raina.” She said, shaking the woman’s hand. “This is our daughter, Melody.” She said, nodding to the little girl who was trying to hide behind her legs.  
  
“I’m Jackie. My husband Todd and I live in the house across the street.” She explained. “When I saw a car in the driveway I just knew I had to come and welcome you to the neighborhood.” She said, holding out a plate of brownies.  
  
Raina thanked her, inviting her to come sit down in the living room while Antoine scooped Melody up. She hid her face in his neck shyly and Raina caught him whispering something in her ear that made her nod enthusiastically.  
  
“Oh, you have a baby! ” Jackie cooed noticing Addison in her swing. “How old is she?”  
  
“Five months.” Antoine replied, sitting down on the couch.  
  
Raina tucked herself under his arm. “Where’s Melody?”  
  
Jackie followed their lead, settling primly on the other end of the sofa. “I told her she could play with her Legos until we left.” He answered, earning a raised eyebrow from Jackie. The colorful little bricks had been the morning’s most exciting discovery and Melody couldn’t wait to get her hands on them.  
  
“I guess she takes after her daddy.” Raina said, giving her ‘husband’ the soppiest look she could muster. “Antoine’s an architect.” She explained to Jackie.  
  
“Interesting. And what about you, Raina? Do you stay home with the kids?”  
  
“We both do, actually. Antoine’s work can be done from home for the most part, and I write textbooks.”  
  
Jackie’s 1000 watt smile faltered for a moment. Clearly she had been expecting something else. “Textbooks?”  
  
“On human biology.” She elaborated. Antoine had given her a strange look when she had suggested it, but she had reminded him that despite SHIELD’s tendency to forget it, she was a scientist, making her cover less of a stretch than his. He couldn’t argue with that.  
  
“Interesting.” Their neighbor said, despite clearly having no interest in it at all. “So, where are you from?”  
  
Antoine explained that they had arrived from Virginia that morning. Technically, it wasn’t a lie but it also dodged her question in such a subtle way that Jackie didn’t even realize what had happened. She asked how old Melody was and Raina said that she would be six in February.  
  
“I’m sure it was hard to pull her out of school just as she was getting settled into a routine.” Raina doubted that even Addison was fooled by the bottle-blonde’s feigned concern.  
  
“She had a few friends in our neighborhood that we were sad to say goodbye to, but we homeschool her so moving didn’t cause much of an issue on that front.” They had agreed that it was too big of a risk to put Melody back into the school system before they knew it was safe, so they’d studied up on the curriculum she needed to be familiar with and ordered some workbooks off the internet. She had proven to be very clever and imaginative already, and Raina had no doubt that she would be able to adapt to the new method of learning.  
  
“That must be difficult, socially I mean.” Jackie certainly had some strong opinions on their choices as parents for a housewife with no children of her own.  
  
Raina assured her that they had been involved in playgroups and other extra-curricular activities that had allowed Melody to make plenty of social connections.  
  
Jackie twittered on and on about the neighborhood, her husband’s _very_ important corporate work, and the New Year’s party she was planning for the HOA.  
  
“You _have_ to come.” Jackie insisted, finally pulling her fur-lined coat from the rack next to the door.  
  
“It sounds great.” Raina assured her. “We’ll check our schedule.”  
  
“Great!” She smiled. “Well, it was nice to meet you. And, again, welcome to the neighborhood.”  
  
“Man, I thought she’d never leave.” Antoine said as soon as Raina shut the door on Jackie’s retreating form.  
  
“Let’s get to the store before another shows up.” Raina said, already making her way to Melody’s room. “Don’t these sort of people usually travel in packs?”  
  
For the first time since they’d been assigned this mission, she heard him laugh wholeheartedly “More like herds I think. Vicious, vindictive little herds.”

* * *

  
  
It took about twenty minutes to get the girls in the car and drive to the nearest supermarket, but soon Trip was slowly making his way through rows of produce asking Melody what she liked and didn’t like. Raina had taken Addie to the other side of the store to pick up a few toiletries and agreed to meet him as soon as she was finished.  
  
“What kind of apples should we get, Angel?” He asked swinging her up on his hip so she could view the selection.  
  
“The ones on the end are great.” Said a voice from behind him. He turned around to see a curvy woman with a basket on her arm. “Just my personal opinion.”  
  
“I like the red ones.” Melody said, pointing to the apples the woman had just pointed out.  
  
“She’s got good taste.” The woman laughed. “I haven’t seen you in here before.” She said with a flutter of her eyelashes. That explained a lot.  
  
He shifted Melody in his arms so that his wedding ring was visible, and he didn’t miss the way her eyes flew to it.  “We just moved here.” He said, noticing Raina making her way towards him.  
  
“Who’s your friend?” She asked. The woman sputtered uncomfortably for a moment before blurting out some sort of excuse and bustling away.  
  
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to play with your food?” He murmured after setting Melody back down. “You looked like you were going to eat her alive.”  
  
Raina just shrugged her delicate shoulders. “You’ll come to find that I don’t enjoy sharing.” She replied. “Now, what’s next on our shopping list?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time on Flying Blind: More Neighbors, and the group play date from hell. As usual, please leave a comment with your thoughts, and any ideas/requests you might have.


	6. Welcome to the Neighborhood pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Raina and Antoine make some friends and attend the group play date from hell.

“Mommy, what’s your favorite color?” Melody asked, surveying the crayon box in front of her.  
  
Raina set the last of their lunch dishes in the dishwasher. “Purple, why?”  
  
“I’m drawing you in a princess dress. I have a lot of purples though. You’ll have to pick one.” She said, holding out a bundle of crayons in varying shades of violet.  
  
“Why don’t you use all of them?” Raina suggested. “You can make it a tie-dye princess dress.” Melody’s face lit up at the prospect just as a knock came at the door. “You stay here and work on your picture.” The girl nodded, barely paying attention now that she had a very important dress to color.  
  
The woman standing on the porch was a far cry from their first visitor of the day. Her dark hair framed her face in gentle waves, and she looked almost nervous waiting for Raina to open the door. She didn’t look like a threat, or even an unpleasant person, so she swung the door open. “Hello.”  
  
“Hi! You must be the new neighbor. I’m Eva Castillo, I live next door.” She said quickly. “I’m not interrupting anything am I?”  
  
“No. Come in.” Raina said, stepping out of the way.  
  
They ended up sitting with Melody at the kitchen table. Eva said that she and her family lived in the house to their right. Her husband, Daniel was a teacher at the local high school and Eva worked as a nurse. “Never a dull moment at our place.” She laughed. “Not with three boys.”  
  
“Oh, how old are your sons?”  
  
“Nine, six, and four.” Eva said. “They keep us on our toes, that’s for sure. Do you have other children?”  
  
Raina nodded. “A five month old daughter. My husband’s upstairs putting her down for a nap.”  
  
“Your husband, huh? You mean the tall, dark, and handsome man running down the street this morning?”  
  
Raina gave the other woman a cheeky grin. “That’s the one.”  
  
“If you’re not careful Jackie will try to snatch that one right off your arm.” Eva teased.  
  
“She can’t.” Melody said, all seriousness. “Daddy is too big. Nobody can lift him.”  
  
The two women were too caught up in their laughter to notice the man, himself coming into the room. “Who’s trying to lift me?” He asked.  
  
“No one.” Raina assured him. “Apparently you’re too big to be manhandled.”  
  
“You’re not.” He winked, just as a knock came at the door. “Saved by the bell.” He muttered, heading towards the foyer.  
  
“It’s probably Leanne.” Eva said. “The Abels live on your other side.”  
  
No sooner had she finished the sentence then a statuesque redhead came to stand in the doorway. “Is that Eva I hear?” She said, a strong southern accent resonating through her words. The two women hugged briefly before Leanne turned to Raina. “You must be the lady of the house. I’m Leanne.” She said, shaking Raina’s hand. “I brought y’all a little something. It’s cookies in a jar, you just add the things on the tag and it makes a nice little batch of cookies.” She pulled a mason jar with a neat bow around it from her bag and placed it on the counter. “I see Jackie’s been here.” She plowed on, noticing the untouched brownies next to the stove.  
  
“First thing in the morning.” Eva confirmed. “I was just warning Raina about… well, you know.”  
  
“I get the sense she has a reputation.” Raina said, glancing between the two women.  
  
Leanne pulled out the last chair at the table and settled into it. “Let’s just say there’s a reason nobody’s lasted more than three years in this house.”  
  
Leanne and Eva turned out to be good company, and Raina actually found herself enjoying their conversation. Leanne was rather blunt — something Raina admired about the redhead — and was more than happy to fill her in on the neighborhood gossip. Apparently Jackie was a notorious troublemaker, and as two-faced as a trick coin, but not particularly clever. They chatted a bit longer about their families and Raina learned that Leanne had a daughter around Melody’s age and a son who was eight.  
  
“Oh Lordy! Is that the time?” Leanne exclaimed after nearly an hour. “I’ve got to pick up the kids, but you stop over any time alright?”  
  
“I need to leave too.” Eva said, gathering up her things. “Oh, we have group playdates every other Saturday. You should come! We’re meeting at Bouncy Kingdom this week at one o’clock.”  
  
“Sounds great.” She agreed.  
  
Antoine peeked his head around the corner as Raina closed the door. “Do you have any idea what Bouncy Kingdom is?”

* * *

  
  
Bouncy Kingdom was, in essence, a giant building full of inflatable slides and bouncy castles. Trip could see the appeal for parents with rambunctious kids who were cooped up in the house thanks to the cold weather, but he was worried Melody would be too nervous to have any fun. He knelt in front of her as she pulled her shoes off.  
  
“Are you excited to meet the other kids today?”  
  
She shrugged. “I guess.”  
  
He put his hands on her shoulders, noticing again just how small she was. “I think I saw a spaceship slide in there, and I know how much you love spaceships. Maybe you can be friends with other kids who like the spaceship slide.”  
  
She seemed to perk up at that. “Okay, I’ll try.”  
  
“Good. And who are we gonna be nice to?” He asked.  
  
Melody smiled, remembering the conversation they’d had that morning. “Everyone, even if they aren’t nice back.”  
  
He wrapped her in a hug, kissing her cheek. “That’s my girl! Now, go have fun.”  
  
Raina was already in the main play area talking with Leanne and entertaining Addison with some sort of jingly toy.  
  
“Everything alright?” She asked as he walked over to them.  
  
“Yeah, she was just a little nervous. It’s all fine though.” He said draping an arm over her shoulder.  
  
“Awwww! Nervous for her first playdate. That’s just precious.” Leanne said, surveying the chaos around them.  
  
Children ran from slide to slide, chasing one another across the giant foam puzzle pieces that made up the floor. Leanne introduced them to several other couples who lived on their street while Trip kept a discreet eye on Melody. She had stuck to the spaceship slide, as he’d predicted, but every now and then she would be tempted away by the ball pit or one of the bouncy castles.  
  
Then, as if in slow motion, one of the younger boys came flying down the slide she had just crawled into. He landed on one foot at first, thence was on the floor. Every adult in the place seemed to freeze, and then he started crying. His mother and one of the employees came rushing over immediately and determined that it wasn’t broken before helping him over to one of the benches.  
  
Traffic at that slide seemed to have come to a stop, and his stomach dropped when he realized why; Melody was too scared to come down.  
  
“Mel?” He called, standing at the bottom of the slide. “Can you come down?”  
  
“No, I don’t want an owie!” She called back.  
  
“I promise I won’t let you get hurt, okay? Slide down and I’ll catch you.”  
  
“Okay.” She called back. He stood at the end of the slide, and seconds later she was sliding straight into his arms.  
  
“See? I told you I’d catch you.”  
  
She tucked her head into the crook of his neck like she did when she was feeling shy. “I don’t want to play on slides anymore.”  
  
“Not even the spaceship?” He asked, hoping to coax her back out of her shell.  
  
“No I just want you to hold me.”  
  
“Alright, Angel. I won’t let you down.”  
  
He hoped it was true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will likely have a bit of actual plot (you mean this isn't just an indefinite amount of fluff?) and a bit of development in their relationship. Of course, if you have ideas/suggestions I would love to hear them, and comments for the sake of commenting are always appreciated!


	7. Trouble in Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Trip and Raina stop ignoring the elephant in the room and it hurts a little.

It had only been a week, and already Trip was losing count of the things he had started to adapt to. He’d gotten used to the smell of lavender perfume, and candy apple bubblebath, and baby lotion. He’d grown accustomed to bedtime stories, and goodnight kisses, and warming up bottles so they were just the right temperature. He had also learned the best way to slip out of Raina’s grasp to go for his morning run. The fact that he never would have pegged her as a cuddler made it all the more adorable when he woke up with her sleeping form curled into his side.   
  
But then he would go for his run and focus on the chill of the air and the aspects of the mission that he needed to focus on — because at the end of the day this was a mission — and he’d remember that Raina’s questionable loyalty was one of them. It felt like getting punched in the gut, especially when he got back to the house and found her sprawled out in his vacant spot on the bed, pulling in the warmth he left in his wake.   
  
But she wasn’t there today, and his heart nearly stopped when he got back to the house and found the bed empty. She wasn’t in the bathroom either, so he grabbed the ICEr from the bedside table and tried not to assume the worst as he crossed the hall to Addison’s room.   
  
Addie was in her crib, sleeping soundly with her tiny hands curled into loose fists. He smiled down at her for a moment then, satisfied that she was safe, moved on to Melody’s room. Just like her sister, Mel was sleeping peacefully in her bed with the covers pulled up to her chin and her curls splayed all over the pillow. She was fine, Addison was fine, and everything but Raina seemed to be in its usual place.   
  
He was starting to get seriously concerned by the time he made it back down the stairs. The foyer was just as he’d left it, with his running shoes still next to the door, so he checked the living room and walked past the dining table with his ICEr still at the ready and his eyes sweeping over the room.   
  
“You can put that away, Antoine. I’m not going to attack you.” She was tucked into the corner of the kitchen, sipping tea from a mug as if this happened every day.  
  
He put the weapon away, but didn’t really relax. “That’s not what I was worried about.” He said  before changing the subject. “You’re up early.”  
  
“Yes, I awoke early today so I’d have extra time to plan ways to double-cross you and endanger the lives of two innocent children.” She deadpanned, staring into her tea.  
  
“I didn’t mean it like that.” Trip sighed.  
  
“Yes you did, you’ve questioned my loyalty since the day I got out of that damn cell.”   
  
He raised an eyebrow. “Is that what this is,you’re loyal to SHIELD now? Because I’ve also heard that you where loyal to Centipede, and HYDRA, and Skye’s father, and John Garrett.”  
  
“Oh please.” Raina spat. “Don’t pretend you know the first thing about me Antoine.  
  
“You’re right, I don’t know the first thing about you because you don’t trust me enough to tell me anything. That’s not my fault.”   
  
“Fine, you want to know something about me? My mother couldn’t stand the sight of me so she shipped me off to Thailand to live with my grandmother, and when she died I was left with nothing but the ramblings of a crazy old woman. Her belief that I would become something more than a freak on the streets was all that kept me going, and when Skye’s father showed up he learned to manipulate that belief almost immediately. You think I’m manipulative? I learned from the best. Cal taught me to survive, convinced me that our ambitions were aligned, and then he handed me off to help Centipede in the meantime.” She growled. “ HYDRA was never part of the plan, and Garrett… you and I both know what a fraud he was.”  
  
“Garrett fooled us all, but I’m supposed to believe that you just sat in that cell for a couple weeks and magically turned good?”   
  
Raina shook her head. “Unlike you Antoine, I don’t have the luxury of seeing the world in terms of good and bad. There is only that which can help me achieve my goals, and that which stands in my way.”  
  
“So what are your goals now?” Trip asked.  
  
She stood up from her chair and deposited her mug in the dishwasher. “My goal today is the same as it was all those years ago — survive.”  
  
He knew the conversation was far from over, but he let her leave. They both needed time to digest what Raina had said. He knew one thing for sure though, their relationship would never be the same. 

 

* * *

Melody was up at the usual time, bounding down the stairs as Trip nursed a cup of coffee. He set the mug down on the counter just in time to catch her as she launched herself into his arms. “Good morning, Sweetheart.”  
  
“G’morning Daddy.” Melody was still a bit shy around new people, but she had proven to be exceptionally affectionate with him and Raina once they’d earned her trust. She was also coming out of her shell around other kids little by little, and although they had only just started homeschooling her she was also clearly a very clever girl.   
  
“How does oatmeal sound?” He asked, carrying her over to the pantry.   
  
It didn’t take long to get the oatmeal ready, and soon he was sitting down at the table with her across from him, swinging her bare feet back and forth. “What are we gonna do today?” She asked.   
  
He watched her scoop some more oatmeal into her mouth before answering. “First, you’re going to get dressed and brush your teeth, then we’re going to do your schoolwork.”  
  
“And piano?” She asked hopefully.  
  
Trip smiled at the little girl. “I promised, didn’t I? Once you finish your math we can have a piano lesson.”   
  
At first he had been a bit nervous about homeschooling Melody, like he might mess something up and permanently damage her education, but with Raina taking control of math, science, and geography, and Trip teaching her history, English, and French, Melody was becoming a very enthusiastic student. Teaching her French had been Raina’s idea. It wasn’t part of the curriculum they’d looked at, but Raina had insisted that it was never too early for children to start learning a foreign language. Trip hadn’t found any convincing evidence on the contrary, so he added it to her daily schedule, and when Melody had learned that Trip knew how to play the upright piano in the living room she’ practically begged him to give her lessons in that too.  
  
“Yay! Can I be done?” She asked, squirming to get out of her seat.   
  
Trip looked at the half-eaten oatmeal. “Finish your breakfast first, we’ve got all the time in the world.”   
  
He let himself believe it was true, just for a moment.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we all know why this is getting updated this week. Anyway, aren't you guys glad to see Trip and Raina are working towards a healthy relationship of mutual understanding, and definitely NOT dead and/or suicidal? Haha, I'm so happy they're safe and sound in Boston. (Just kidding, I'm actually dead inside.) Anyway, please feel free to leave a comment or suggest something you'd like to see in a future chapter.


	8. Boys Will Be Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Raina tries to let go of her old self, Trip gives a history lesson or two, and both of them get closer.

Raina was getting Addison up from her afternoon nap when she heard the first few notes of music drift up the stairs. Smiling to herself, she picked the little girl up off the changing table. “Let’s see what you sister is up to, huh?”  
  
When she made it to the living room, she could see Melody and Antoine seated at the piano bench with their backs to her. His hands were moving fluidly over the keys as Melody watched on in fascination. Strange as it was, Raina couldn’t help thinking what lovely hands he had. They were surprisingly soft, with long elegant fingers — an artist’s hands. For the thousandth time since she had met him, Raina wondered how someone like Antoine Triplett could ever have worked for someone like John Garrett.  
  
All too soon the music was gone, tapering off until only the final note hung in the air. “I didn’t know you were so well rounded.” Raina said, stepping further into the room.  
  
“I guess there are still a lot of things we don’t know about each other.” He said before gesturing towards Addison. “Do you want me to take her?”  
  
“No, you finish up your piano lesson. I’m going to go pack up her diaper bag before we go over to Mark and Leanne’s”  
  
“Again?” Melody asked, her shoulders drooping along with her smile.  
  
She exchanged a concerned glance with Antoine for a moment. “What do you mean? I thought you liked going to the Abels, you get to play with Mackenzie and Connor.”  
  
“Mackenzie only likes to play dolls.” Mel informed them. “And all of her dolls are boring. They just shop an get their hair done.”  
  
“Well, why don’t you make your doll an astronaut or a zookeeper?” Raina suggested.  
  
“I’ll try, but what if she doesn’t want to do that?”  
  
“Then maybe you can try playing with the boys instead.” Antoine said.  
  
“Okay, I’ll try.” Melody said. “Can we do piano now?”  
  
Antoine pulled her onto his lap, helping set her fingers on the proper keys. “Sure thing, Angel. First, you put your thumb here…”  
  
Raina couldn’t help but watch for a few moments at the natural way he interacted with her, gently correcting her when she was wrong and praising her work when she did well. For him it seemed as natural as breathing to have Melody sat on his lap and soaking up every bit of information he gave her. _Maybe this was meant to be_ , her mind whispered before she could stop the thought. _No, no more of this destiny business._  
  
Addie started squirming in her arms then, reminding her that she had other things to do than stand around all day watching Antoine Triplett put the vast majority of biological fathers to shame with a single piano lesson. Raina left to go find the baby’s diaper bag, bouncing her gently as she went. She glanced back as the music started up again and that little thought flitted its way across her mind again. _Maybe this was meant to be._

* * *

“I couldn’t believe she had said it Meredith’s face.” Leanne said, animatedly describing the drama that had taken place at the school bake sale that afternoon. “I thought she was gonna have an aneurysm right there.”  
  
The whole group laughed at that image. Leanne and Mark had invited Eva and Daniel over as well today, and the six of them were settled in the living room together. As promised, Melody was upstairs trying to play with Mackenzie and the boys where in Connor’s room. Trip was watching Raina bounce Addie on her lap when Melody appeared on the edge of his vision.  
  
He rose from his seat and knelt in front of her. “What’s up, Sunshine? Are you and Mackenzie playing okay?”  
  
“She said my astronaut doll was stupid and only boys can be astronauts.”  
  
“Well that’s not true at all.” Trip told her. “What about Mae Jemison and Christa McAuliffe? They were both astronauts and they were girls.”  
  
“I told her there were girl astronauts and she said that was stupid.”  
  
Trip rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. “Why don’t you try playing with the boys then?”  
  
“I did, but they were playing pirates. They said I couldn’t be a pirate unless I was a boy.”  
  
He had to physically restrain himself from rolling his eyes. “Let’s see if we can change their minds about that.”  
  
Trip heard the boys before he saw them. Connor was shouting orders to all three of Eva’s sons, and they where rushing about to comply. “Hoist the sails!” He shouted, and a sheet tumbled over the edge of the top bunk.  
  
“Hey guys!” Trip said, immediately silencing the din. All four of them stood still, blinking up at him. “Why did you say Mel couldn’t play with you?”  
  
“She’s a girl.” Connor said, as if that should have made everything perfectly clear.  
  
“So?” Trip asked him. “Why does that mean she can’t play?  
  
“There aren’t any girl pirates.”  
  
Trip pursed his lips, trying to think of a way to get through to the boys. “Have you ever heard of Ching Shih?”  
  
The boys exchanged confused glances. “No, who’s he?”  
  
“Ching Shih controlled most of the South China Sea at one point, with over 1,500 ships and 80,000 sailors. _She_ was one of the most powerful pirates of all time. And that’s just one example. Tons of women have been pirates, and you didn’t even know it.”  
  
Connor looked a little uncomfortable now. “Well, I guess Mel can be a pirate too then.”  
  
“Great.” Trip said. “You kids have fun!”  
  
As he walked back down the hall he could here Melody proclaiming. “I’m Ching Shih, ruler of the seas!”  
  
_And my heart_ , he thought as he walked back down the stairs.

 

* * *

Raina was surprised to see Antoine still up when she came out of the bathroom that night. Usually he left her bedside lamp on and drifted off while she changed and washed up. Not tonight though, tonight both lamps were on and he was sitting with his back against the headboard and a book in his lap.  
  
“I thought we should talk about this morning.” He said before she could so much as ask what it was about. She started to protest, but he intervened. “Look, you don’t have to say anything else if you don’t want to, but you were right that we don’t really know much about each other. I’d like to change that.”  
  
She pulled back the sheets and crawled into bed next to him. “I don’t have any objections to getting to know each other better. What exactly did you have in mind?”  
  
“I figured you could just ask me whatever you wanted to know.”  
  
Raina raised her eyebrows. “Whatever I want to know?”  
  
“Within reason.” He amended.  
  
“Very well then,” she said propping her head on her hand, “what’s your full name?”  
  
“Antoine Timothy-Aloysius Triplett.” He said, annunciating every syllable.  
  
“Seriously?”  
  
Antoine smirked down at her. “Yes, my mom’s very sentimental.” She could tell he was holding back, not wanting to press for information she didn’t want to give, so she offered it willingly.  
  
“I don’t know what it says on my birth certificate, but my grandmother always called me Mali.” She said, her voice barely above a whisper. It still hurt her to remember the only person who had ever really loved her, but it was also refreshing to reveal a part of her past to someone who she knew would keep it a secret.  
  
“That’s a pretty name.” Antoine said, and he couldn’t hold back his curiosity this time. “Where did you get Raina from?”  
  
“Skye’s father actually gave me the idea. I was part of this little band of misfits on the streets, and I sort of became their leader. Cal called me their queen once and it stuck in my head, so when I needed a new name I picked Raina.”  
  
He turned his head to look at her, his gaze roving over her face with care. “It suits you.” He decided, holding her gaze for a moment that started to feel like a millennia. “See? This is good, we’re getting to know each other.”  
  
I suppose it’s not horrible.” She teased. “But I think it would be best if we maintained an air of mystery for another night and went to sleep.”  
  
He reached over to click his lamp off. “Whatever you say.”  
  
Raina turned her own lamp off too. “Goodnight Antoine.”  
  
“Good night, Your Majesty.”  
  
She would never admit to kicking him, but the light bruise that formed on his shin spoke for itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I took some liberties and made some assumptions here. Please let me know if you see something in here that directly defies what's been stated in canon. And as always, please leave your comments an suggestions below!


	9. All In Good Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Raina lets loose a little, and both of them have questions about Melody and Addie's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is extra long in celebration of Molly (aka antoinetriplett) who has a birthday today! She was a huge part in getting this story started, so please go flood all of her inboxes with birthday wishes!

There was someone in their room.  
  
Trip’s hand was halfway to the gun he had stashed in the drawer of the bedside table before he realized that their supposed attacker was clutching a stuffed rabbit and brushing dark curls away from their face. He reached for the lamp instead, causing Raina to stir and wake. “Melody, what’s wrong?”  
  
“I had a bad dream.” She whispered, walking towards the bed.  
  
He held his arms out and helped lift her onto it, settling her between him and Raina.  
  
“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked, smoothing Melody’s hair away from her face.  
  
“The bad men came back and took you away like my other Mommy and Daddy.” Melody said, holding on tighter to her bunny. “I don’t want them to take you away.”  
  
Trip could nearly hear his heart shattering. “Nobody’s going to take us away from you, okay?” Melody nodded and he pressed on. “Mel, when the bad men cam last time, how did you and Addie get away from them?”  
  
“I held Addie and Mommy sent us away.” She yawned.  
  
Over Melody’s head he could see the confused look on Raina’s face, one that probably resembled his own. “What do you mean?” She asked. “You ran away?”  
  
Melody cuddled her rabbit tighter. “No, she said ‘I love you very much and everything’s gonna be okay.’ Then she sent us away.” She explained, eyes drifting closed again.  
  
Trip looked over to Raina, whose face reflected his own uncertainty. One thing was for sure, they needed to find out more about Melody and Addison’s biological parents.  
  
He woke up again at the usual time, only to find himself unable to leave the bed. Melody had ended up mostly on top of him at some point in the night and Raina had fallen back asleep with a protective hand on the little one’s back. There was no getting up without disturbing them both. He decided that it wouldn’t hurt to sleep in just this once.  
  
It was nearly eight when he was pulled from sleep again. This time it was by the sound of Addison beginning to fuss. He tried to avoid waking Melody, but it wasn’t an issue. She and Raina were already starting to stir.  
  
“I’ve got it.” He told them.  
  
“I’ll help you.” Melody said, grabbing her bunny and scooting to the edge of the bed. Trip helped her down and held her free hand as they crossed the hall. It was sweet to see the way that Melody helped take care of her sister, talking to her about anything and everything in a gentle voice. Getting Addie changed didn’t take long and soon the three of them were headed down the stairs.  
  
“It’s very cold out today.” Mel noted, looking at the frost that clung to the corners of the windows and the roofs of the houses across the street.  
  
“Maybe it’ll snow soon.” Trip said.  
  
“Really soon.” She decided. “Maybe even tomorrow.”  
  
Trip squeezed her hand. “Maybe. If you’re right, you could be a meteorologist.”  
  
“I have to go to college first.” She said after pondering the idea for a moment.  
  
“That’s true.” Trip chuckled, warming up Addie’s bottle. “You have to go to college for a lot of jobs.”  
  
“Where did you go to college?”  
  
Trip tried to think of a way to explain the academy to her. “I didn’t go to college, I went to a special school instead.”  
  
“What kind of school?” Thankfully, he was spared from having to answer by Raina’s entrance into the room. “Mommy!”  
  
“Good morning! Did you help get Addie ready?” She asked. Melody nodded proudly. “You are so helpful! Let’s have something for breakfast, shall we?”

 

* * *

Raina was starting to get worried. Antoine had been on the phone for a while now, and the small fragments of what she could hear him saying sounded tense. When he finally came back into the kitchen his shoulders were set with tension. “Melody, why don’t you go do your piano exercises? We can finish your math later.”  
  
Melody hardly waited for her to finish the sentence before bounding off into the living room.  
  
“What was all that about?” She asked.  
  
Antoine stood close enough that she could smell him, and feel the inviting warmth that radiated from his body. “I was on the phone with Dr. Fielding.” He said in a low voice. In the next room Melody began to practice her scales. “She says that Melody’s current state of mind is better than she would have expected, but she couldn’t give me much information on what happened the night her parents died. She says Melody told her the same thing she told us, that her mom ‘sent’ her and Addison away. She figured that it meant that their mother made them run away.”  
  
“You don’t believe that’s true.” Raina said.  
  
He shrugged helplessly. “On the one hand, that’s the only thing that makes sense, but on the other…”  
  
“It doesn’t make sense at all.” She finished.  
  
Antoine nodded. “Melody’s a devoted sister, but are we really supposed to believe that she somehow evaded her parents’ attackers and walked three miles in the middle of the night, all while carrying Addison? How did nobody notice them? It just feels off to me, really off.”  
  
“I think you’re right.” Raina agreed. “Do you have a way to contact your team? They might be able to shed some light on the situation by now.”  
  
“I’ll call Skye tonight and see if she has an update.” He promised. “And Raina? They’re our team, not just mine.”  
  
“Are you sure that _they_ feel that way?”  
  
He looked back at her, face set with determination. “They will.” Antoine said with such certainty that even she believed it for a short moment. They had a long way to go before that was true.

* * *

Melody was disappointed when she woke up the next morning to no snow. Trip watched her mope through her breakfast and her English lesson on punctuation. Even a mid-morning visit from Eva wasn’t enough to cheer her up, and by the time he went to put Addie down for her nap he thought nothing could get her spirits up. Raina seemed to know what would do the trick though because when he came back downstairs the two of them had a menagerie of cooking utensils spread out on the island, and Melody was standing next to Raina on a chair, narrowing her gaze at the measuring cup that Raina was pouring milk into.  
  
“Stop!” She said, prompting Raina to cut off the stream of milk.  
  
“What’s going on in here?” Trip asked as he strolled into the kitchen.  
  
Raina poured the milk into a large bowl. “Technically, math.”  
  
“We’re making cookies!” Melody told him with a grin.  
  
“Do you mind if I help?” He asked.  Melody and Raina agreed that they could use an extra set of hands, so he washed up at the sink and stood on Melody’s other side. “So what’s the occasion? It’s a little early for Christmas cookies, isn’t it?”  
  
“Nonsense.” Raina said, pulling the electric mixer from the cupboard. “Besides, we needed something to bring to the HOA meeting at Jackie and Todd’s tomorrow.”  
  
“How did she even end up being the president of the home owner’s association?”  
  
Raina rolled her eyes. “Well, it’s not like she has anything else to do all day.”    
  
“Well Wifey, not everyone can be a textbook author.”  
  
She smirked at him over Melody’s head. “No they can’t. Now, let’s get this dough rolled out.” She spread a layer of flour on the counter, smoothing it across the granite with her fingers.  
  
“Why are you doing that?” Mel asked, poking a finger at the layer of white on the dark countertop.  
  
“It keeps the cookies from sticking to the counter when we roll them out.” Raina explained.  
  
“You know what else it’s good for?” Trip asked, running a finger through the flour. “War paint!” He  reached aver and drew a long strip of white across Raina’s face.  
  
It only took her a second to recover from the momentary shock of being decorated with baking supplies. Trip was fast, but not fast enough to escape the handful of flour that she flicked at his face in retaliation. Melody was laughing uncontrollably as he reached for the bag of flour and Raina rushed to the other end of the kitchen “Oh, it’s on now Girl.”  
  
“You’ll have to catch me first!” She taunted, racing towards the dining room.  
  
By the time they called a truce and let the flour in the air settle, each of them was speckled with blotches and patches of the white stuff and laughing hard.  
  
“I’ll go get a towel or something.” Raina said, brushing a bit of flour off her jeans.  
  
Trip ruffled Melody’s hair. “You are going to need a bath tonight. But for now, lets find a mop, huh?”

* * *

Raina took a short shower that night before bed, rinsing the last of the flour from her hair.  
  
“Today was a good day.” Antoine said as she walked back into their room. “It was nice to see you let loose like that.”  
  
She slid under the comforter with him, laying on her side with an arm propping up her head. “What’s life without a little fun?”  
  
“Touché Mrs. James.” He smiled as he closed his book and set it on the nightstand.  
  
“Are you going running tomorrow?” Raina asked, also settling in for the night.  
  
Antoine settled his head on the pillows. “If I can pry you off me.” And with that he switched off the lamp.  
  
“Maybe I’ll hold on extra tight then.” She teased.  
  
Maybe it was the false security of darkness or just the fact that he was exhausted, but something gave him the courage to blurt out the first thought that popped into his head. “Maybe I wouldn’t mind that.”


	10. Neighborly Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which regulations are laid out and bodies are explored, but probably not in the way you think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Hides behind laptop* Will it help if I say I've been busy?

HOA meetings, even ones that involved homemade cookies, were really boring. Trip tried his best to pretend to be interested in the light and decoration guidelines that Jackie was going over, but he honestly couldn’t have cared less at that point. In reality he was just watching Raina as she indulged Addie in her new favorite pastime of reaching for the toy Raina was holding only to throw it on the ground as soon as she acquired it. He’d just watched her pick it up for what must have been the seventeenth time when his phone buzzed in his pocket.   
  
_**Text from Skye: Call me when you can.**_  
  
Raina caught his eye as he slid the phone back into his pocket and he gave her a look that told her that it could wait until they got back to the house. He wondered when that had happened exactly, the two of them being able to communicate effectively through only nods, and head shakes, and pointed glances. Maybe it had always been that way. After all, his job required him to be very good at reading people, and from what he knew about Raina’s history he could guess it was an important skill for her too.   
  
Finally Jackie wrapped up her speech on appropriate lawn ornaments and everyone was dismissed. Raina left Addison with him to go upstairs and collect Melody from the room that all the other children were playing in. “So, how did you like your first meeting as a member of the HOA?” Asked a perky voice from behind him.   
  
He turned around to face Jackie, whose dark green dress left little to the imagination. She’d had a sweater on during the meeting, but clearly it had vanished at some point between then and now. “It was very educational.” He said, mostly because it was the only true but kind thing he could think to say.   
  
Jackie looked like she was about to respond, but she never got the chance because at that moment Addison chucked her toy again, and it smacked Jackie square in the nose. The baby squealed in delight while Jackie stood still for a second, still realizing what had happened. It took hear less than a second to regain her composure, laughing off the incident and stooping over to retrieve the toy. “She’s got quite an arm.” The bottle blonde said, handing over the trinket. “If you’re not careful Todd will try to recruit her for the neighborhood softball league before she’s walking.”   
  
His phone buzzed again in his pocket. It was a coded text from Skye disguised as an update about their Uncle who was in the hospital. It really meant that there was news about Melody and Addison’s parents. He caught Raina’s eye as she came down the stairs with Melody, holding hands and descending slowly. She nodded her understanding when she saw the phone in his hand. “Sorry to leave so soon, but I’ve got to get home and call my cousin.”  
  
“Oh, is everything alright?”   
  
“Our Uncle’s in the hospital.” He explained. “Car accident.”  
  
Jackie’s face melted into a mask of sympathy. “I’m so sorry. If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know.”   
  
He and Raina thanked her for hosting, before saying a few hasty goodbyes and walking back across the street.   
  
“Mel, why don’t you go play in your room? We’ll come up in a minute.” Trip said.   
  
“Okay Daddy. I’m gonna draw you a picture.”   
  
He grinned down at her. “I would love that.” She headed for the stairs, dark curls bouncing as she went.   
  
When the sound of her little footsteps had disappeared up the steps, he joined Raina in the kitchen and pulled out his phone.   
  
Skye answered on the second ring. “Jemma’s vampire fortress, give us all your blood please.”   
  
He could make out Simmons protesting in the background while someone else laughed. “I just need one more sample Skye. Honestly, you don’t have to be so dramatic about it.”   
  
“You said you had news?” He prompted, hoping to abate their squabbling.   
  
“Right, let me put you on speaker.” Skye said. There was a bit of shuffling on the other end of the call before Skye spoke again. “Okay, you’re on speaker. Simmons and Bobbi are here too.”   
  
Trip took a moment to greet the other two agents before Simmons got down to business. “I just finished my autopsy.” She announced with far more enthusiasm than he thought the situation merited. He glanced over to see that Addison was fast asleep in her swing. H knew it was silly, but he was glad she wasn’t hearing this.   
  
“Just now? But it’s been over two weeks.” Raina pointed out. “Isn’t this sort of thing usually pretty time sensitive?”   
  
“Unfortunately the coroner who was in possession of the corpses was less than enthusiastic about turning them over to us.”  
  
“Hunter and I handled it.” Bobbi interjected.   
  
Trip shared a look with Raina, both of them preparing to ask for elaboration when Skye cut in. “Trust me, you don’t want to know.”  
  
Simmons wasted no time getting back to her point. “The cause of death was quite obvious, both of them sustained multiple gunshot wounds. There’s also evidence that they engaged in an altercation just before their deaths.”   
  
“There was nothing abnormal?” Trip asked.   
  
“Nothing obvious.” Simmons said. “I’ll be running blood tests and looking at tissue samples as soon as I can, but as far as I can tell they were as normal as anyone.”   
  
“I’m just glad she found someone else’s blood to suck.” Skye said. In his mind’s eye, Trip could see her rubbing her arm and glaring comically at their scientist friend.   
  
“We’ll get back to you once we know more.” Bobbi said. “In the meantime, is there anything we can do to help you?”   
  
Trip suspected the question had mostly been aimed at him, but it was Raina who spoke up. “Have your agents been to the house yet?”   
  
“We have two people there right now.” Bobbi confirmed. “Why?”  
  
“Have them see if there are any journals or diaries in the house.”  
  
“Okay. Anything else?”  
  
“We also need all the pictures you can find of Melody and Addison.” She said. “It looks suspicious to have two young children and no pictures of them anywhere in the house.”   
  
“Alright, diaries and pictures. Got it.”   
  
“I’ll see what I can get from their computers.” Skye said. “They’ve probably got a bunch of photos saved to the cloud.”   
  
Bobbi said that she was going to go contact the agents at the house and they said their goodbyes.   
  
“Sort of odd requests.” Trip noted, stuffing the phone back into his pocket. “Why do you want diaries?”   
  
“If we want to know about Melody and Addison, we need to learn more about their parents.” She replied pragmatically.   
  
“And the pictures? I take it someone commented on the impersonal wall art?”  
  
She nodded, curls brushing the tops of her shoulders. What he wouldn't give to just wrap one of those pretty curls around his finger… “Leanne.” Raina said, cutting off his errant train of thought. “I told her that they had been destroyed in the move.”   
  
“Then how are we going to explain the sudden appearance a bunch of pictures of them?”  
  
She led him up the stairs, and head was almost too distracted by the graceful sway of her hips to pay attention to the answer. “Skye said it herself, everything is digital theses days. We’ll just say we had some re-printed.”  
  
“Well, at the rate she’s going, Mel will have drawn enough pictures to wallpaper the whole living room by the end of the month.”  
  
Raina laughed at that and he thought that it just might be the most genuine laugh he’d ever heard from her. He swore to himself that he’d make her laugh like that every chance he got.  


End file.
